Oh how I miss full serve gas stations.
And I admit that I may be aging myself here. Yes, they still had them when I started driving. What of it?!
But when it’s really cold out, or very windy, I do long for their return. Because it doesn’t get any better than full serve, does it?
You’d drive up, right over the little rubber wire that would announce your arrival with a happy “ding ding” of the bell. Then out would come a man in a uniform (good reason right there!). Sometimes it would be a delightfully cheery older gentleman. Or if you were lucky, a buff young mechanic type.
“Fill ‘er Up Ma’am?” they’d ask.
“Yes please” I’d happily reply.
And you’d sit in your warm dry car, listening to your favourite tune. Watching them work away. Tending to your car.
And while the gas was filling, they would squeegee your front and back windows till they were sparkling.
And they would check your oil – pop the hood, pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, stick it back in again, pull it out again . . . I’d always keep an eye on them through that little crack between my car and the open hood.
“You could use a quart, Ma’am” they’d say. Cars never seemed to run low on oil back then.
And if you asked, they would also check your coolant. In fact, I think they’d check just about anything you asked them too. Well. At least they do in my head I think they would.
Yep. Those were the good old days. Why can’t they bring that back? Who’s idea was it to make me pump my own gas?! I would pay an extra dollar or two on a freezing cold day to avoid having to be out there pumping. I should at least have an option, no? But you can’t even find full serve stations anymore. Nope. I’m going to lodge a complaint.
I will single handedly bring back the full serve. Buff young mechanics and all.
You’re welcome.
20 Responses to “Fill ‘er Up Today Ma’am?”
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January 12th, 2010 at 5:26 am
I barely remember this from family vacations. There’s only one place I remember was doing it when I was a kid, but then they changed ownership and out went the full service.
I never got to experience this pleasure. I’m with you, let’s get them back!
January 12th, 2010 at 10:17 am
I agree–there need to be more squeegees in this world.
January 12th, 2010 at 10:03 am
I’m with you on this. We could start a letter campaign!
We still have two full serve stations in our city.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:24 am
So, who do you think we write to about that?? Because I’m on board with bringing it back too. Not that the weather gets all that frigid in TX, but I like a little full service every once in a while.
Cher
Replied:
January 12th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
What’s not to like?!?!
January 12th, 2010 at 11:55 am
We have one station where, if you are over 55, you can get full service but for the rest of us, we are out of luck.
Cher
Replied:
January 12th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I’d say that’s some form of discrimination. Excluding people solely because of their age. Us full-serve lovers will not stand for it!
January 12th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
OMG! Cher is opening a chain of gas stations! What should we name it?
Cher
Replied:
January 12th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Well, I am constantly surrounded by excess gas in my house . . .
January 12th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
the only full service station i’ve been to was in a foreign country…we texans are all about “DIY” i guess…which is stupid.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
we still have one in my hometown and i always go there i love it
Cher
Replied:
January 12th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Uh-Huh! What’s not to love?! I’ll put you down as a Supporter of the Movement, then shall I?
January 12th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Hmmm. There’s always Jersey!
January 12th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Move to Oregon! All our stations are full serve–state law! You couldn’t fill up your own tank if you wanted to! Bliss!
Cher
Replied:
January 13th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
SHUT UP! WTH?!?!
Why there? Why not here? What’s going on?!?!?
January 12th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I remember it from when I was younger. Mom and Dad didn’t go to full service that often. I agree, though. It would be awesome to have those again!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
January 13th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Stopping by from SITS…love your header…3 boys here, I’m an outnumbered working mom also! You know what’s funny is our kids have no idea what self serve is. I think if someone walked up to our car, they would think we were being mugged, which is sad but true!
January 13th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Uh huh. Uniforms and everything. AND we were already doing it BEFORE the stimulus money. That went to making signs that say, “Putting Oregon back to work.”
Three weeks of employment–until the last sign was stuck in the ground and the job was complete. Now we have signs, but no jobs.
I’m convinced Mothers need to take over the country. Wouldn’t I just love to grab hold of some ears and march some very naughty children into time out!
January 13th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Yes! When we lived in WV there was a place that still pumped the gas for you. I had to pay a little more per gallon but being lazy was totally worth it.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:40 am
What I miss is the windscreen cleaning part of it – when you go to a self serve service station here in London there isn’t even a bucket of water, let alone a squeegy for cleaning your windscreen. But back when I got my first car there was always that available when you stopped for petrol. Plus paper towel.